England

PRAYER POINTS

VIDEO

• Pray for revival that would breathe life into dying churches and hardened, apathetic hearts.

• Pray for inner-city neighborhoods to be infused with the transforming impact of the gospel.

• Pray for the influx of foreigners to be confronted with a vibrant Christian witness.

SUMMARY

A developer of democracy, literature, and science, the influence of the British Empire during the 19th century stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. Currently the third largest economy in Europe behind France and Germany, England's agricultural sector produces roughly 60% of the country's food needs with less than 2% of the work force. A highly educated nation, almost 100% of the population is literate, and the leading industries include banking, high tech manufacturing, textiles, and other consumer goods. England, along with Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales make up the United Kingdom, which remains a leading trading power and financial center.

Yet not all is well in "Broken Britain". The strength of the British Empire has decreased significantly in the post-war era with many former colonies claiming their independence. Once plentiful oil and natural gas reserves are on the decline, and the recent global financial crisis has hit the economy especially hard with high consumer debt, declining home prices, and declining industry importance. Violent crime, sexually transmitted diseases, prostitution, and gambling addiction rates are high and growing. England is also a major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine and is a center for money laundering.

Even more heartbreaking is the despair and hopelessness felt by the people of England. The homeland of John Wesley, John Wycliffe, and William Tyndale, England was once a thriving center of Christian thought. Today, secularism and Islam are the growing faiths among the population. Many are discouraged and feel cynical about the future. As freedoms of speech and religion are limited, anger towards government figures grows. Distrust is high of politicians and their effectiveness to solve the issues that plague their country. An estimated 59% of the population claim the Christian faith, but that number is decreasing annually. England is in desperate need of a spiritual revival, because the only one who can lift the weight of hopelessness and despondency from England's shoulders is Christ.